


Compare and Contrast

by TiffanyC1



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: AU, Angst, Athos doesn't know how to deal, Season 3 Spoilers, Sort Of, Time Travel, d'Artagnan has grown up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:55:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21555847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyC1/pseuds/TiffanyC1
Summary: A freak convergence causes a shift and Athos is confronted with how much d'Artagnan has changed.
Relationships: d'Artagnan/Constance Bonacieux
Comments: 14
Kudos: 25





	Compare and Contrast

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.
> 
> This was inspired by me noticing how much d'Artagnan has grown up since season 1.

It had been a long time since Athos had believed in any kind of supreme being, but if there was one, they had a devilish sense of humor. One minute, he was talking to a d’Artagnan that was young, innocent, eager to please and prove himself worthy of being a Musketeer, the next minute he was staring at a d’Artagnan he barely recognized and wasn’t sure he liked. 

The reason, given by the astronomer, was a convergence of something or other combined with a conjunction of one or another. Whatever the reason, a d’Artagnan from the present had suddenly been switched with one from the future and the changes were startling. 

His d’Artagnan was slim and coltish, with big, brown, puppy dog eyes that Athos could always read, no matter what. This d’Artagnan was still slim but had definitely put on muscle and moved with a grace and ease that was a little disconcerting, but the thing that scared Athos was the eyes. He couldn’t read d’Artagnan’s eyes. Those big, puppy dog eyes that always showed him what his protégé was thinking and feeling, were closed off to him. The eyes that stared back at him were hardened and cynical. He hated them.

His d’Artagnan was eager to please and listened intently to all the lessons the older Musketeers tried to teach him. The older d’Artagnan had clearly learned every lesson Athos would’ve thought to teach him and had learned more the hard way. There were scars on him that Athos didn’t want to imagine how he’d gotten them. He also had no fear of arguing with Athos or calling him out, something that came as quite a shock the first time it happened. 

There were other, less frightening, changes, older d’Artagnan was married, if the ring on his finger was anything to go by, which made Athos smile. He also had developed some skill as a medic, though he wasn’t close to Aramis’ level, it was clear he had the talent for it, much to Aramis’ delight. He also seemed to have developed some skill at cards, something Porthos learned to his immense cost. 

The worst part was the times when future d’Artagnan’s mask would slip, and Athos could still see that scared, lost boy that had barged in that day. When he discovered that d’Artagnan was still afraid of thunderstorms, and still carried the watch his father had given him.  
Athos didn’t know what to make of this older version of his protégé and younger brother. He scared him a little with his colder and more cynical views and unreadable eyes. It scared him to think that this was the future for his young friend. It wasn’t a future Athos wanted for him, not ever. 

**********Flip Side***********

If there was a god, they had a nasty sense of humor, of that Athos was more sure of than he was about just about anything else. Why else would some insane convergence of the planets, stars, and heaven only knew what else, cause the present day d’Artagnan to be switched with one from the past. A d’Artagnan that brought painful realizations. 

He’d forgotten how skinny and awkward d’Artagnan had been when they’d first met. A barely grown boy with long limbs he was still learning to control. His d’Artagnan had packed on some muscle and the awkwardness had smoothed into a gracefulness and ease with himself that Athos hadn’t noticed before. 

Young d’Artagnan’s hair was always too long and constantly in his face, his d’Artagnan had cut his hair shorter and had finally figured out how to tame it. Looking at the boy, Athos realized that some gray had crept into his d’Artagnan’s hair as well, a thought that made him very unhappy.

The saddest part were the eyes. It wasn’t until young d’Artagnan had looked at him with big brown eyes that showed every emotion and thought in his head that Athos realized that he hadn’t been able read d’Artagnan’s eyes in a long time. He couldn’t even remember when that had changed, but he hated it. 

There were some enjoyable things about having a younger version of his protégé around again. It was fun to watch him flirt with Constance, who found the younger version of her husband extremely amusing. He liked teaching the younger man again and watching him soak up Athos’ wisdom like a sponge. He liked seeing d’Artagnan looking at him with adoration and worship again. 

The time inevitably came when the astronomer figured out how to get the d’Artagnans switched back. As they prepared to send young d’Artagnan back to his own time, Athos found himself making a promise to the d’Artagnan that would be coming back, they were going to sit down and talk, really talk. He wanted to be able to read his friend’s eyes again, he wanted to know that things between them are still good, that his affair with Sylvie hasn’t cost him his best friend.

A future without d’Artagnan by his side was not one he wanted to face. He’d fix this if it was the last thing he did.


End file.
